


Unsurprising

by It_started_with_a_word



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Gen, Injured Newt, Movie 1: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Sick Newt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-29
Updated: 2017-04-27
Packaged: 2018-09-03 00:49:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 19,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8690149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/It_started_with_a_word/pseuds/It_started_with_a_word
Summary: After the battle with Graves, how did Newt walk away unhurt? A little reimagining of the end of the film.





	1. Unsurprising

Chapter 1

 

It wasn't surprising that no one noticed that Newt was injured, in all honesty he has barely registered it himself. The pure adrenaline rushing through his veins had masked the deep ache that was now settling in his chest. As they quietly trudged single file up the subway steps that led to the surface and the rain that would claim his friend, Newt tried to convince himself that the pain was a manifestation of the losses and shock he had suffered; Credence's terrible fate, Grindelwald's reveal and the bittersweet goodbye of Frank and soon Jacob.  
As they climbed ever higher the pain began to increase, his steps slowed and he started to fall behind, Tina's beautiful form becoming distant. Each member of the group was so locked in their own personal conflicts that they didn't notice his, and Newt was never one to make a fuss. So he soldiered on, wheezing slightly, as muted shafts of daylight signalled the end of their time as a foursome.  
Finally on flat ground, he moaned slightly as a wave of dizziness swept over him, leaning against the wall for support, he found himself sinking to the floor. The cool glass and the gentle patter of rain slightly soothed the pounding heartbeat in his temple, but did nothing to alleviate the erumpent residing on his chest.  
His sudden collapse startled the others, Tina instantly dropped down to his side, hand on his chest, he instinctively leaned into her. "Newt, what's wrong" she said urgently.  
Blearily he opened his eyes to see her worried face surprisingly close to his. Before he could even formulate a response, Queenie who was now on his other side spoke  
"Oh honey" she sighed softly, then to Tina "It's his chest Tinnie..and..and his head".  
Newt's mind drifted to what had happened down on the tracks, when it was just him and Graves and the lightning.  
Queenie stiffened "Graves, Grindelwald, whatever he, he tortured Newt before you got there" she said, looking up at Tina.  
"Tortured, how?" Jacob spoke up worriedly.  
"Lightening" Newt mumbled, before squeezing his eyes shut, his breath coming out in pants. "Newt, Newt, can you hear me" Tina shook his shoulder lightly, and he just moaned in response, sweat beading on his pale freckled face.  
"We have to get him back to ours" she said tearing her eyes from his stricken form to look at Queenie.  
"You take Jacob, I've got Newt". Queenie nodded, squeezed Newt's shoulder comfortingly, then took Jacob's hand. Grasping Newt prostrate form firmly, Tina concentrated hard, desperate not to splinch either one of them. The group rematerialised in the girl's apartment, leaving the subway entrance empty, and Jacob's impending obliteration forgotten.  
As soon as they touched down on the rug in their cramped front room, Tina's attention turned to Newt, who had, if possible turned even paler. Jacob was instantly beside her and with his help they hauled Newt up onto the sofa.  
"We need to look at his chest" Queenie informed them, standing up from the drawer she had been digging in, holding a wooden box that contained their medical kit. Tina nodded, and with a flick of her wand Newt was gently sat up, swaying slightly as her spell supported him. His heavy coat, waist coat, bow tie and shirt were quickly removed, and he was settled back down into the soft sofa. The sight that greeted the trio made them all pause for a second. Newt's well defined chest and abdomen was a network of scars, ranging from pink shiny burns to silvery bite marks. The most disturbing aspect however was the raised livid red branching marks that cover his upper chest and arms.  
"Christ" Jacob breathed out "How was he even standing?"  
His words sparked action into the two women, Tina conjured a damp cloth and tenderly placed it on Newt's now burning forehead. In his semi conscious state, he moaned softly as the cool liquid trickled down his hot face. Queenie was searching through the chest for something to ease the swelling and bring down his fever.  
"Come on, come on" she murmured frustratedly "All we've got is Pepperup Potion, no wait here is some essence of Dittany".  
She thrust the potion into Tina's outstretched hand, and summoned a bowl to begin preparing the the dittany.  
Jacob watched on as they worked, feeling out of place as he stood worriedly by Newt's head. As if sensing his discomfort Newt began to become unsettled, groaning slightly as he moved. Instincts kicking in, Jacob began to card through Newt's hair, speaking softly, as he had done many years ago with injured men on the front.  
As Newt began to settle, Tina measured out the dosage of Pepperup Potion.  
"Here you are Newt, this should help with that fever" she said as she gently lifted his head up, and poured the potion into his mouth. Newt swallowed and sank back down into the cushions, ears steaming. Jacob glanced up quickly with concern at Tina, she shook her head gently at him.  
"That's normal, don't worry".  
"Here", Queenie pressed a damp cloth into each of their hands, holding her own she knelt down beside the sofa, and delicately took Newt's arm, lightly rubbing circles over the angry marks covering it.  
"All take a different area, work slowly and don't rub too hard" she instructed. Between them they made light work of his chest. The marks didn't completely fade, but they lightened and started to merge into the patchwork of scars that covered Newt. The gentle action of his friends, began to ease the pain and pressure on his chest, his breathing becoming easier.  
"We need to do his back as well" Queenie told them, but with a smile "It's seems to be working though, his mind is a lot calmer"  
Once again Newt was raised up, and they began to work on his back. As soon as he was horizontal again, he had the desperate urge to thank and reassure his friends. But his consciousness was fading fast, and by time Tina placed a soft blanket over him, he was fast asleep.  
"Is he gonna be okay now?" Jacob said softly to the two witches. Queenie graced him with a sad smile.  
"We don't know honey, the only thing to do now is wait"

 

Chapter 2

 

As Newt had fallen into a healing sleep, the trio settled on the opposite sofa, Jacob squeezed between the two sisters. Evening faded to night and they remained in quiet support of their friend. Empty cups littered the coffee table, as Queenie had insisted on providing sustenance for the long night ahead. Jacob's head lolled backwards as he snored softly, the fingers of his left hand were curled around Queenie's, even in sleep. With her free hand Queenie was holding Newt's notebook, that had been hastily thrust at her all those hours ago. Though Newt's prose was riveting, most of her attention was on the man himself, scanning his thoughts to make sure he was still at peace. Smiling to herself, she watched dream Newt soar through clouds on the back of a hippogriff.  
As she always did in times of stress, Tina was knitting the no-maj way. So far she had made a pair of grey and yellow socks, and had just started on a hat. Queenie had looked knowingly at her when she had made the unusual colour choice.  
Suddenly Newt's thoughts shifted, becoming darker as they began to focus on Credence and a young African girl.  
"Tina" she warned, breaking the long silence. Instantly Tina's eyes were on Newt, who had began to stirred and mumble, a fresh sweat breaking out across his forehead. Casting a quick diagnostic spell, she moved to his side.  
"His fever is spiking" she sighed, placing a cool hand on his cheek to confirm what the spell had told her.  
"Shh Newt, it just a dream" she murmured, tenderly stroking his face. He quietened almost instantly, unconsciously nuzzling into her hand. She turned her head to look at Queenie who following Tina's thoughts had begun to prepare another dose of Pepperup potion.  
"It's not just a dream is it" she said sadly, Queenie shook her head and pressed the potion into Tina's hand, as she too dropped to Newt's side.  
"Come on honey, it's time to wake up" she shook his shoulder lightly.  
Newt found himself gasping for air, staring at an unfamiliar ceiling with unshed tears in his eyes, trying to shake the dark images from his mind. The Goldstein sister's worried faces peered down at him.  
"Tina, Queenie" he croaked weakly. He was rewarded with a set of smiles, he wished he could bottle an essence of the look Tina was currently giving him. "Newt" she breathed, stroking his cheek once again.  
"Hey you" Queenie smiled "Can you sit up, we'll give you something to make you feel better".  
Newt nodded determinedly, and with their help, found himself panting slightly as he leaned up against soft cushions. Merlin, he hadn't felt this weak since the incident with the Hungarian Horntail. With a shaking hand, he accepted the potion. As his ears steamed, and his mind cleared, one urgent thought surfaced.  
"My creatures" he shouted, lurching forward, and startlingly the previously oblivious Jacob from his slumber.  
"Wha..what's happening" Jacob slurred, looking at the now conscious Newt, who was desperately trying to swing his legs off the sofa. He was blocked by gentle hands keeping him in place.  
"Newt" Tina started, then sharply so that he looked at her "Newt". His glassy green eyes met hers, and she smiled reassuringly.  
"Take it easy, we have your case, everyone is safe"  
"I have to make sure" he said desperately, redoubling his efforts to get up. Suddenly there was a tangle of Goldsteins and Newt on the floor, as he managed to launch himself off the sofa.  
That had been a mistake, his head pounded as the sisters righted him.  
"Newt, you're too weak to get up now" Tina said sternly, then with a broken sigh "We almost lost you..you need to rest"  
The tears in her eyes snapped him out of his stupor, stopping his urgent mission to see his creatures in it's tracks.  
"I'm sorry" he mumbled, looking around at the faces of his friends. It had been a long time since anyone had cared this much for his well being.  
"I'm sorry..I didn't mean to worry you" then glancing at his case longingly "They are going to be so confused..and..and scared, I haven't been away from them for this long before".  
"I know sweetie" Queenie squeezed his hand reassuringly "How does this sound?" Newt glanced up.  
"Jacob has met your creatures before, and I've been reading your notes, so why don't we both pop down and check on them, while you take care of yourself"  
"Yeah don't you worry pal" Jacob chimed in "we've got it covered".  
Once again, unshed tears threatened to spill onto his freckled cheeks, Newt was at a loss for words.  
Sensing this Tina spoke "Come on now, let's get you back on the couch", and with their combined effort Newt was once again settled into its soft embrace.  
"Thank you" he said with a watery smile, feeling his eyelids grow heavy, the escapade off the sofa had drained what little energy he had.  
Tina grasped his hand "It's okay Newt, we've got you". A smile graced his lips as he drifted back into unconsciousness.  
"Poor guy" Jacob shook his head, then to Queenie "Shall we get to it then?"  
"Sure honey" she rose to join him by the case "Are you going to be okay here Teenie?" she inquired. Tina nodded, Newt's hand still in hers.  
"We'll be fine"  
And with that the pair descended into the case, which had now grown accustomed to Jacob, and allowed him a more dignified entrance than his first time.  
"Won't be long" Queenie's voice rose up from the depths, before the lid snapped shut, leaving Tina and the sleeping Newt effectively alone.  
"We'll be fine" she murmured again to herself, rubbing her thumb across his scarred knuckles, reassuring them both.

 

Chapter 3

 

As Jacob descended the ladder into the mesocosm of Newt’s case, he was struck with the perverse feeling that he was being watched. By the time he reached Queenie’s side, he understood why. Eyes were everywhere, they were completely surrounded by shining orbs, desperate for answers. At the centre of the dense circle of creatures, closest to the two humans, stood the demiguise Dougal with a defiant Pickett perched on his shoulder. When Newt was absent Dougal often took on the mantle as protector of the motley bunch of beasts. 

 

“Hey..” Jacob started, suddenly all eyes focused on him. Uncomfortable he cleared his throat and ran a finger under his collar. “Hey, guys I know you are upset..but um..it’s going to be okay”. He looked at Queenie for help, and she stepped forward, smiling reassuringly.  
“Newt is a little under the weather” she began softly “He really wants to come down here to see you all, but he needs a little rest first”. A strange murmuring ran through the group of creatures as they digested this information.  
Finding his voice again, Jacob spoke more confidently “We’re here to help though, Newt sent us to come check up on you all”  
He paused  
“And provide dinner, of course” he smiled widely, if there is one thing Jacob knew it was that food in a time of crisis was always welcome.  
The group just looked back at them silently, until Dougal stepped forwards and raised his arms to Jacob. As he had done the previous day Jacob swung the demiguise onto his hip, a familiar position he often adopted for his small nephews.

 

With Dougal’s approval of the two humans the creatures began dispersing back to their various habitats, leaving them alone with just Pickett and Dougal. Jacob smiled down at the pair.  
“Thanks pal” he said, releasing a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. He turned to Queenie, “So where should we start?”

 

“Divide and conquer I think” she said warmly, handing him a notebook, her fingers lingering momentarily on his. “Here you go hun, I made a copy for you”. 

 

Jacob flipped through the book quickly, marvelling at Newt’s detailed sketched and looping penmanship.  
Satisfied, he nodded in agreement, “Okay, I’ll take this half” Jacob gestured at a section of the case. “And you take that half, we’ll meet back here in the middle”.

 

“Sounds swell” Queenie said chirpily, “holler if you need anything”. With that she strode off confidently to her section, leaving Jacob to look longingly after her. He could have remained like that for awhile, but an impatient Pickett had crawled up onto his shoulder, and flicked Jacobs ear. Hard.

 

“Ow” he glared at the small Bowtruckle indignantly, “alright..alright, I’m going”, and with slight trepidation he made his way towards the beasts now under his care. 

 

Unaware of the events unfolding in the case, just metres from her, Tina initially remained by Newt’s side, leaning against the sofa and holding his hand. After a while she felt the urgent need to do something, Tina had never been the kind of person to sit by and let things happen. Gently she extracted her hand from Newt’s, he shifted slightly but remained deeply asleep. She stood up, her gaze settling on his handsome but pale face, before she roused herself and began quietly cleaning up the apartment. 

 

Consciousness came back to Newt in a rush, and he was acutely aware of two things; first that he was naked from the waist up, and secondly that he wasn’t alone. These factors combined to trigger a deeply ingrained fight or flight response, that he had honed after years of avoiding pranksters and hungry creatures. He sat up suddenly, wincing as pain lanced through his chest.  
Newt’s abrupt awakening startled Tina, causing her to drop the mug she had been washing. The sound of breaking china in turned alarmed Newt, and for a moment they just stared at each other, wide-eyed.  
“Jesus Newt” Tina broke the tense silence “You scared me” then she quickly stepped towards him “How do you feel?”  
Newt’s slightly addled brains finally caught up to the situation at hand as she was crossing the room. Pulling the blanket up slightly to cover his chest, he glanced down awkwardly. He sighed to himself as he noticed the new marks that had joined the impressive, if not vaguely sickening collection of scars that he had gained over the years. Feeling Tina’s worry he spoke up.  
“I..um..better, I think” he said hoarsely, meeting her eyes briefly. He shifted uncomfortably, an action that sent new spikes of pain running up his back. Closing his eyes briefly, he then continued.  
“Thank you” he glanced up at her again, Tina was now perched on the arm of the sofa, relief evident in her warm brown eyes.  
“Thank you..I don’t really know what that man did to me..but I know I wouldn’t have made it without you” he uttered in one rushed breath, before looking down at his hands. 

 

The dawn sunlight was streaming through the shutters, catching the reddish highlights in Newt’s curly mop, and softening his face, so it became even more boyish. Tina smiled at the strange, wonderful man, that had managed to change her life in a matter of days.

 

“Newt” she began tenderly, before being interrupted by an echoing roar erupting from the depths of his case. 

 

Chapter 4

 

Queenie smiled to herself at Jacob's very male thoughts, as she walked away from his slightly gormless form. She was utterly entranced by Newt's case, a rare thing for a pureblood witch who'd grown up in the magical capital of America. It wasn't just the complex spell work, it was the compassion and love that practically saturated the air. Newt was a very unique wizard, more accurately he was a completely unique man overall. It pleased her that this fact wasn't lost on her sister.  
As she approached a large hillock that was reminiscent of andean plateaus, she noted several alpaca-like beasts, with comically large eyes, peering down at her. Mooncalves, Queenie mentally corrected, Newt's sketches had certainly done them justice.  
She paused staring back up at their expressive faces, but not hearing the familiar swirl of thoughts. This was why animals generally unnerved her, without thoughts to work off they were so unpredictable. Smiling again to herself, she thought how Newt would say the complete opposite was true.  
The pause had gone on a little too long, and the mooncalves were encroaching on her, expecting dinner to materialise.  
"Hey guys" she said a little nervously "Sorry, I'll get to dinner in a sec, just let me check what's on the menu today"  
Queenie pulled Newt's worn leather-bound notebook from her coat pocket, and taking her eyes off the expectant mooncalves, began to flick through it. Just as she reached the right page, she felt a tugging on her dress, turning slightly she saw the culprit. A curious youngster was nuzzling around at her feet, looking for scraps.  
"Hello honey" she all but cooed, before reaching out a hand to pet his head. The mooncalf's fur was gloriously smooth and warm, it was like stroking silk.  
"Ahh here we go" she exclaimed, finding the the relevant information she turned from her new friend toward the ramshackled hut that served as Newt's base of operation.  
"Accio moon-pellets" she uttered smoothly. A delightful trilling rose up from the herd as they noticed the chain of floating pellets approaching. Queenie waved her wand to stop the chain just in front of them, her face splitting into a pleased smile as they eagerly tucked in, her earlier nerves forgotten.  
On the opposite side of the case, encouraged by Pickett's abuse of his ear, Jacob had roused himself. As he settled the demiguise back onto the floor, Pickett ran down his arm and attached himself to Dougal's long white fur.  
"Can you guys go and keep the peace, let everyone know Queenie and I will be round soon with food" he asked the pair, Dougal regarded him with serious eyes and nodded, before ambling away.  
Deciding to start with beasts he knew, Jacob set off determinedly clutching a bucket of worrying ambiguous meat he'd found in the hut. He made his way over to where he'd first seen the Graphorns. Luckily for him they were waiting patiently at the edge of the plain, no need to attempt the rather interesting call Newt used to summon them.  
The two infants were playful rolling around in the dirt, while the adults stood guard, rather stoically meeting his gaze. Jacob tried to exude confidence, this wouldn't be too hard, feeding people was what he lived for and he was happy enough to extend this principle to beasts.  
"Good to see you again" he gave the adults a lopsided grin, at the sound of his voice the infants had stopped playing and were now padding towards him.  
"Hey guys, you must be famished" he fished into the bucket, selecting two suitable sized chunks he threw them gently towards the pair. They happily gave chase to the rolling meat, and seeing that their children were tended to the adults also stepped forward. Awarding Jacob with the greeting that they normally reserved for Newt, he chuckled as their tentacle-like mouths tickled his face, and rubbed their noses affectionately, before once again reaching into the bucket. He stepped back and looked on satisfied, as the family consumed their dinner, he could see why Newt loved this.  
Rather unfortunately for Jacob his progress hadn't gone unnoticed, something had been tracking him since he had left the hut. The female erumpent looked on from her area as the quarry she'd previously thought lost made his way across the case. She knew he probably wasn't her mate, but his rounded form made him distinctly more likely than her caretaker, who often liked to dance for her. It was only when the breeze picked up his scent, which still smelled distinctly erumpent musk, that she decided the human was worth another investigation. So she began trotting towards him.  
At the sound of heavy footfalls Jacob looked up from the domestic scene unfolding in front of him, to see the female erumpent careering towards him.  
"Shit" he exclaimed, looking around he noted the considerably distance back to the hut and to freedom. Dropping the bucket he set off at speed, hollering at the top of his voice for Queenie.  
She had just been about to move on from the mooncalves when Queenie heard Jacob's desperate cries. Running towards his voice, the sight that greeted her would have been comical if it wasn't so dangerous. Jacob was running as fast as he could from a massive bulbous creature, that she recognised as an erumpent from Newt's notes. Wand drawn instinctively, she cast a shielding spell between Jacob and the creature.  
The erumpent ran into the shield at full pelt, resulting in an echoing crash. Dazed she leaned back onto her hind quarters, shaking her head in an attempt to clear it. Taking advantage of her distraction, Jacob made his way over to Queenie.  
"Thank you" he panted, out of breath, but she wasn't looking at him. "Don't thank me yet, it's getting back up" she warned.  
The erumpent wasn't one to give up easily, and quickly regained her footing, rounding on the pair she charged once again. Finding her way still blocked by Queenie's shield, she let out a frustrated roar, which bounced off the walls of the case.  
"How long can you hold it?" Jacob questioned.  
Queenie grimaced, "I'm not sure...we need to think of something...quickly".  
The erumpent's roars could be heard from outside of the case, Tina looked worriedly at Newt, and his eyes began to roam around the room, searching.  
"They're in trouble..we need to help them..I need my shirt" he spoke quickly, wincing as he swung his legs off the side of the sofa.  
"You can't, you're still injured...besides Queenie is perfectly capab-" she began to protest, but was interrupted by another roar. She stopped torn between the injured man and the thought of something hurting her sister. Her resolved wavered.  
"Okay, fine" she handed him his shirt that had been hung over the back of the sofa "but you have to let me help you"  
Newt looked pained as he gingerly slipped his arms into his shirt sleeves. "I don't think I'll have much choice" he mumbled weakly as he buttoned up shirt.  
Reddening slightly in embarrassment, he cleared his throat.  
"Actually can you help me up.." he trailed off gesturing vaguely. Tina stepped towards him,  
"Of course".  
And between them they managed to get him upright, Newt swayed violently as he adjusted to the new position, closing his eyes and swallowing in attempt to stave off the nausea and dizziness. Tina's strong grip held him in place as he acclimatised,  
"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly, as his face paled several shades.  
"I'm fin-" Newt started before being cut off by yet another roar, his face shifted, steeling in determination.  
"I'm fine, we have to help them" and on shaking legs he made his way over to the case. Tina bent down and undid the clasps, the lid snapping open.  
"I'll go first" she told him "Just in case"  
With trepidation the pair descended, unsure of what might greet them below.


	2. Chapter 5

Tina stepped into the case and began to descend the rickety staircase, keeping her eyes on the wobbly Newt above her. She hit the wooden floor of the hut, and took a step back, anxious to assist if he needed it.  
Newt came down slowly, trying to ignore the lancing pain in his chest, spurred on by the sporadic roars issuing from below. When he made it down he had to take a second to catch his breath. Leaning against a wall, he looked at Tina’s worried face, and gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile.  
“Let’s go” he breathed, signalling for her to take the lead. They made their way out onto the great plains of Newt’s case, following the booming cries of the erumpent. The sight that greeted Tina and Newt when they reached the clearing, caused them to pause for a second.  
Queenie was standing in front of a frankly terrified Jacob, as the female erumpent relentlessly charged at her shield. Rarely flustered, Queenie was bright red and panting as she struggled to repel the desperate beast.  
Tina wanted to call out to her younger sister, but feared breaking Queenie’s concentration. So she and Newt slowly picked their way across the grass, edging closer to the trapped pair. When he deemed they were close enough, Newt stopped, taking a deep breath to steel himself, he stepped forward.  
From Jacob’s and Queenie’s perspective he appeared from nowhere. Pale and sweating, with dark rings around his eyes, Newt nevertheless stood tall and confident. Wand in hand he strode determinedly towards the enamoured beast.  
“Enough of this silliness” he said firmly, as he crossed into her eyeline. The erumpent paused at the sight of her lanky protetor, torn between him and the source of her affection.  
“Come on now Beatrix” he murmured, maintaining eye contact as he walked towards her, arms outspread, in an attempt to appear nonthreatening. No one dared to even breathe as Beatrix surveyed him, debating her options. Her eyes flicked towards Jacob, she tossed her head and narrowed them, mind made up.

 

“Dammit” Newt cursed to himself, as she prepared to charge again. Directly in her pathway, his wiry frame was taut and ready for action, but as his friends watched on in disbelief, Newt closed his eyes. Tapping quickly into his centre, he connected to the ever present, and complex web of magic that encompassed the case. From here, he could sense the position of every creature and habitat right down to a single blade of grass. Without opening his eyes or uttering a sound, Newt started creating an intricate pattern of spell work. The others watched on with awe, as thick vines surged up from the ground, encircling the erumpent before she could charge.  
Beatrix struggled as they encased her, wrapping tightly around her legs and torso, until movement became impossible. She let out a distressed trumpet, but after a few minutes of thrashing, seemed to realise resistance was futile.

 

Newt sensed her calm, but he still let out a sigh of relief when he saw her trussed up like a turkey and his friends safe. Still his work wasn’t done, and as he walk to face Beatrix, he confidently brought his hand up, and carefully caressed her bulbous nose.  
“There we are girl, that’s enough of that” he said fondly, and the erumpent let out a gentle warbling as he tickled a sweet spot.   
Her bindings seemed to sense her mood, as the vines slowly loosened and slid from her body, back into the loamy soil. Newt kept petting her snout, talking softly to her until just a harness was left around her muzzle. His attention didn’t waver from her for a second, has he led Beatrix away from his friends back towards her habitat. Once she was safely place where she belonged, Newt again connected to the basal magic of the case. Manipulating the structures in within it, he triggered a powerful shielding charm, that created a barrier between the erumpent and the humans, restricting her to her enclosure until the area was clear.  
With Beatrix secure, Newt turned and began making his way back up to the rest of the group. However the adrenaline that had been fueling him quickly began to dissipate, now that the threat had past. And he suddenly went from standing tall to sagging on his knees in just a matter of seconds.  
The trio, who had been captivated by Newt’s capture of the erumpent, rushed across the grass towards his stricken form. Tina reached him first, with the others just behind, she crashed to her knees in front of him, her cool hands gently taking Newt’s clammy face. He was burning up, swaying as tremors wracked his slight frame, Newt was struggling to keep himself upright.   
“Newt, Newt...can you hear me” she said urgently, with a sense of deja vu. His clouded eyes blinked slowly at her, barely registering her presence.  
“I..just..” he attempted to explain, her face fading in and out, as darkness threatened to claim him.   
“Sleep” he managed before it overcame him.  
They watched in horror as Newt’s face paled several shades, his eyes rolling into the back of his head, before he slumped forward into Tina’s arms.


	3. Chapter 6

Holding Newt's limp, feverish body in her arms, Tina was at a loss. She looked desperately at Jacob and Queenie, who were now both on the floor beside her, hoping that they would know what to do.

To reassure himself, Jacob stuck his hand out and checked Newt's pulse, he let a relieved breath when he felt the strong beating under his fingers.

"Can't catch a break, can you pal?" he said gently brushing a hand through Newt's hair. Then to Tina and Queenie,

"What is wrong with him"

"I don't know, but I think I can find out" Queenie spoke up.  
Since the loss of their parents to dragon pox, she had become quite proficient at diagnostic spells, in an effort to protect those she loved from unseen dangers. This combined with her innate ability for mind reading often caused confrontation between the two sisters, as Tina believed she was wasting her potential as a waitress, Queenie could be a great healer, if she wanted to be. What she could never bring herself to tell her sister was that the thoughts of the sick and dying were too much to bear, no matter how strong Queenie appeared to be.

She could feel Newt's mind, it was red hot and clouded as the fever disrupted his brain function. A twisted jumble of images assaulted her everytime she made contact, he was focused mainly on old injuries, the events of the day before and Tina.  
Queenie closed her eyes and focused intently, her wand hand hovering over his chest, the other over his head. Verbal commands limited the scope of this spell, so she cast it mentally. With a flick of her wand, Newt's body was bathed in a shimmering blue light, which highlighted his freckles against his pale skin. Eyes still closed Queenie began shifting through the influx of data feeding back from the diagnostic. It was relatively good news, the main cause of Newt's unconscious fever-ridden state was magical exhaustion. His wounds from the battle with Grindelwald, were healing slower than expected but he was, thankfully, healing. The glow surrounding Newt vanished and Queenie's looked up at the pair of worried faces observing her.

"He'll be okay, it going to take a little time, once his magical resources have replenished he'll bounce back" she smiled as Tina's face lit up at the good news.

Jacob leaned back on his heels and sighed to himself, this whole magical business was quite frankly magic. During the war he was part of a unit providing aid to the British forces and had been stationed in the trenches of France for a period of time. He saw many things during that posting that he couldn't bring himself to think of. Frequently his dreams were haunted by young men just like Newt, pale and sweating as a fever ravaged their battered bodies. And he'd been next to useless, even if there had been a way to diagnose them, treating infections under those conditions was basically pot luck. Imagine what he could have done if he had magic.  
Jacob was shaken from his dark thoughts by Queenie lightly brushing his cheek, she didn't say anything but gave him a small smile in understanding.

"Right" he stood up suddenly, clapping his hands together "Right, he gonna be okay..good..but what do we need to do to help him get there?"

Tina, who was still on the ground cradling Newt, looked up at him."We need to get him to bed and get some potions in him" she paused as she surveyed Jacob's and Queenie's strained faces.

"Then we need to get some rest, because quite frankly Mr Kowal...er Jacob, you look dead on your feet"

The incident with Beatrix and Newt's subsequent collapse hadn't gone unnoticed by the inhabitants of the case. Dougal was hovering behind them, with Jacob's occamy wrapped around his neck like a scarf and Pickett perched on his shoulder, he crept his way forward until the humans noticed him.

"Hey bud" Jacob looked down as the occamy began loudly chirping at the sound of his voice, recognising him as it's mummy.

"Who have we got here then" he said confidently taking the occamy into his arms, it trilled happily and slithered around his neck. Jacob smiled as it's warm weight settled, and carefully stroked it's smooth scales.

Dougal's large eyes were now fixed on Newt's still form as he lay in Tina's arms, noticing his distress she reached out a hand, beckoning him forward.

"It's okay, he'll be okay...he just needs a little rest" she said reassuringly.

Encouraged, Dougal put a paw on Newt's shoulder, and was rewarded with visions of a healthy and happy Newt. While he was preoccupied with the events of the future, Pickett ran down his arm, and nestled him in the hollow between Newt's neck and shoulder, his earlier anger forgotten.

"Good idea Pickett, keep an eye on him while we get him to bed" Tina smiled and lightly patted the bowtruckle's head.

"Shall we do this then" she said to Queenie, who nodded in response. Tina carefully slid out from under Newt, tenderly laying his head down on the soft grass. Wands out, the two sisters magically lifted him so he was a few feet off the ground. Slowly the ragtag group of humans and beasts made their way across the plains, back to the safety of Newt's hut. In the distance the plaintive cries of the erumpent could be heard, as she mourned the loss of a potential mate.

Without words they agreed that taking Newt up the steps to the girls apartment wasn't going to work, so they placed him onto the cot that had served as his bed while he'd been travelling around the world. For the second time in twenty-four hours the trio stood together, watching over an unconscious Newt, hoping that this would be the last time.


	4. Chapter 7

Thanks to everyone who has read and commented on this story. I hope you are enjoying it, it's my first time writing anything non-fiction so let me know if still sounding okay :)

 

It had been a little over twenty-four hours since the incident in the subway, and maybe three days since all this madness had begun. In all that time, the only rest that Jacob had gotten was a brief unconscious stint resulting from a Murtlap bite. He rubbed the back of his neck tiredly, his hand grazing his occamy’s soft scales, unsure of what to do next.   
Newt seemed to be sleeping peacefully, it was hard to equated the powerful wizard with the still form on the bed. Pickett was still nestled in his collarbone, glad his giant was safe and sound, while Dougal had decided the only way to truly keep an eye on Newt, was to remain by his side. With Dougal firmly secured under one arm like a plush toy, and his rusty curls plastered to his clammy forehead, Newt looked young and fragile. 

Tina had just finished making sure everyone was tucked in properly, her hand lingering on Newt’s cheek as she turned to face the Jacob and Queenie.   
“I think sleep is the next order of call, “ she said softly, not wanted to disturb Newt.  
“I’m going to keep an eye on Newt..just in case..we have beds in the apartment, or we can all sleep down here?”  
Jacob had quite honestly forgotten that the case was still lying on the floor of the girl’s apartment, it almost felt more real in here than the real world did.   
While he was trying to get his head around worlds within worlds, Queenie and Tina had decided that it would be easier for all just to stay down in the case. The walls of the hut had been expanded to accommodate the extra beds, and Tina had stumbled across Newt’s surprisingly well equipped bathroom.  
“Honey,” Queenie spoke getting Jacob’s attention, he had just been standing there, staring into space.  
“Huh..yeah,” he mumbled unintelligibly as he looked at her. Queenie smiled, and gestured to the bed in front of her. It was frankly a work of art, Jacob could feel himself sinking into the downy innards just by looking at it.   
“I think it’s time to turn in,” Tina spoke up, standing beside her sister, “We’ll give you some privacy to get ready for bed.”  
“Uh, okay thanks,” he managed, as they left the hut. He made the mistake of sitting on the bed before he got changed, as he sank into the soft mattress he let out a sigh of ecstasy. Within ten seconds Jacob had uncaringly kicked off his shoes and was lost in the embrace of the soft quilts, with the reassuring weight of his occamy settled on his chest. 

Queenie and Tina stood side by side on the great plains of the case, the sky had now changed to night, and they watched in awe as the drama of the milky way unfolded above them. If they had been English they would have found it reminiscent of Hogwart’s great hall, as Newt had taken much of his inspiration from the castle and a certain transfiguration professor.  
“Amazing isn’t it,” Queenie breathed, know that Tina’s mind was more focused on the owner of the case that it’s contents.  
Tina nodded in agreement, continuing to marvel at the moving stars above her, she suddenly felt overwhelmed, barely able to understand what had happened since Newt had bumbled into her life. Tearing her eyes away she looked at her younger sister,  
“I couldn’t have done any of this without you Queenie,” she said sincerely, taking her hand.  
“I hope he’ll be okay,” she sighed, almost to herself.  
Queenie squeezed Tina’s hand comfortingly, “He’ll be alright, we’ll make sure of it,” and the two sisters stood hand in hand, in silent solidarity as they processed the turbulent events of the last few days.

Tina broke the silence, “We should try and get some sleep.”  
When they entered the hut, they were greeted by the sight of the two men who had stirred up so many unknown passions in the women, fast asleep, surrounded by beasts and snoring softly.  
“They have the right idea,” Queenie laughed quietly, “I’m going to take a shower, you should go to sleep,” she said steering Tina towards the bed closest to Newt.  
At the sight of the bed Tina felt leaden, so she nodded in consent, slipping off her shoes and blazer, she slid between the sheets. From here she could see the rise and fall of Newt’s chest, engrossed by the hypnotic movement, she was quickly asleep.

Having settled Tina, Queenie made her way to the bathroom humming quietly to herself as she turned on the shower. She was rewarded with a stream of hot pungent water, the blooms of steam smelt of sandalwood, leather and Newt. She stripped quickly, letting out a groan of joy as the hot water pounded her aching muscles. Queenie had always found that water quieten the constant hum of voices in her mind, she often used showers as means of escaping for a few minutes. Alone with her thoughts, she took pleasure in slowly wiping off the grime of the subway, allowing herself to completely relax. Finished she dried herself with a flick of her wand, and slipped back into her silk undergarments, leaving her dress hanging on the door. After a brief scan of the other inhabitants she was satisfied everyone was sleeping peacefully, and within minutes she joined them in slumber. 

 

Newt cracked his eyes open, staring at the familiar wood panelled ceiling of his hut, he felt stiff and dried out, like he’d been asleep for a long time. Not entirely sure how he’d ended up in his own bed, he sat up with considerable effort. This movement jolted Dougal and Pickett, who’d been sleeping on him. Pickett squeaked at him, and took up residence in his hair, while Dougal regarded him with happy eyes, patted Newt’s face clumsily, and rolled over back to sleep.   
Newt smiled at tenderly at the pair and slightly out of breath he surveyed the room, to his surprise his friends were still here, all three of them lay fast asleep in beds clustered around his own. Newt’s heart swelled with emotion at the foreign feeling of someone caring about him. Unsure how to deal with this, he decided that checking on his beasts was the best course of action. Swinging his legs over the bed, he braced himself as he hoisted his lanky frame upwards. The world tipped slightly and grey dots swam over his vision, but as he took deep breaths this unpleasantness began to fade. Barefoot he padded his way over to the door, and careful not to make any noise he exited the hut. He was greeted by a glorious sunrise and the dawn chorus, and as Newt stood in the same spot the sisters had the previous evening, he felt at peace.


	5. Chapter 8

So this turns about to be a great form of procrastination when you really don't want to do something. I have an assignment due but for some reason wrote this instead. Anyway I hope you enjoy, this is a Newt and Tina chapter because it's been awhile since they have had some alone time :)

 

Tina awoke suddenly, her eyes instantly going to Newt's bed which was worryingly empty, save for the slumbering Dougal. Concerned she quietly got out of bed, careful not to disturb the other inhabitants of the hut. Her fears quickly dissipated when she stepped outside, Newt was sat on the soft grass giving a belly rub to what appeared to be a giant leopard, though the colouring was all wrong. She was padding towards the pair when Newt spoke up, his tone calm and rich.

"Hello Miss Goldstein, if you don't mind, could you pause there for a second," he said smoothly without turning around, "You see Marie here is a bit skittish around new people."

Tina stopped instantly, watching curiously as Newt leaned close to the beast, speaking softly in it ear. It huffed at him, before slowly rolling over onto it's belly and stretching as it pulled itself up to it's full height. After affording Newt one last pat, the beast slinked off, surprisingly silent for it's large size. Newt watched it go, before turning around and dazzling Tina with a gentle smile.

"Hello Tina," he said hesitantly, before beginning to stand up to greet her, seeing the strain on his face Tina rushed forward.

"Hey Newt..no need to get up..why don't we just sit here for a sec," she quickly planted herself down beside him. Newt nodded in agreement and let out a sigh as he sat back down.

"I'm sorry," he was looking intensely at his fingers, before briefly making eye contact with her, "I don't seem to be back up to full strength yet...I know I'm being a burden..this whole thing has really knocked the wind out of me," he hung his head.

Tina put her hand on his arm and squeezed reassuringly, "It's okay Newt, I..we are here to help," he looked at her again with slightly watery eyes.

Smiling at him Tina continued, "You've got to know you're not a burden..you..you saved Queenie and Jacob and you fought Grindelwald..Grindelwald," she exclaimed passionately.

"It's okay to need help," she said more softly, her hand somehow finding his, they sat in a comfortable silence, admiring the view of Newt's astounding case.

Newt leaned slightly into her, his calloused thumb running over her knuckles,

"Despite all of this, I'm so glad we met," he spoke sincerely, chewing his lip as he met her eyes.

Tina's heart swelled at this adorable mess of a man in front of her,

"Me to," she managed, before clearing her throat and moving on to a slightly less emotionally charged topic.

"So what..who was that you were petting just now ?" she queried.

Newt appreciated her moving the conversation to something he was more confident about, because expressing feelings certainly wasn't his forte.

"Ah Marie, she is a Nundus from Africa..beautiful creatures but exceptionally rare due to their..er rather unfortunate defensive strategies," he began passionately.

Tina doubted she would ever get over the change that came over the whole of Newt's being when he talked about or interacted with his creatures. It made her wonder what had happened to him, to make him so nervous around humans.

"You see, they have this sac around their necks and when they feel threatened..they puff it up," he demonstrated by puffing out his cheeks. Tina found herself giggling, she couldn't remember the last time she giggled.

"And erm then they release their gas...you see it's highly noxious..so they have been hunted to near extinction out of fear," he sighed, staring out into the plains.

"I found Marie when she was a cub, so we have a good relationship..but I've never introduced her to another human..and I didn't want to risk her getting scared and hurting you by accident."

Tina bumped his shoulder with hers,

"I get it..it's a real nice thing you're doing here Newt, I think your book is going to make things better," she smiled at him and he grinned back at her.

"I hope so," he said wistfully, before rubbing a hand across his taut abdomen.

"So I don't know about you, but I'm starving..shall we rouse the others and try and rustle up some food?"

At the mere mention of a possible meal Tina's belly began to rumble, they both laughed at this involuntary agreement.

Tina stood up first, and offered a hand to Newt, he looked at it with furrowed eyebrows, for a second she thought he'd refuse it. But after resolving whatever internal debate he'd been having, Newt took Tina's hand and together they got him upright. The dizziness which seemed to linger constantly in the back of Newt's head, came back with full force and he staggered into her. He squeezed his eyes shut, taking deep breaths, while Tina provided a firm grip on his upper arms. As it abated his green eyes opened to meet hers, he was so close to her she could almost count every freckle on his face.

"Thank you," he breathed, then surprised her by taking her into his strong arms, the embrace was desperate and urgent. She quickly reciprocated, looping her arms around his back, and they just stood like that, two souls relishing the oasis of comfort. Then as quickly as he had initiated it, Newt broke away and looked down, ashamed.

"I'm sorry Miss Goldstein..that was improper of me..I'm..um not really sure what came over me," he stuttered.

Tina took his face in her soft hands, and as she had done when he was feverish, caressed his cheek, "It's okay Newt," she exhaled, as they leaned closer to one another.

His rough hand cupped her chin, his mind made up, and he tenderly kissed her lips, she responded eagerly, her arms wrapping around his neck.

In the passionate embrace, she finally understood what all Queenie's magazines were going on about, with their talk of fireworks and the one.

This was it, she'd found it.


	6. Chapter 9

Thanks to everyone who has read and commented on this story already, I'm so pleased you like it. Most (not all) of the danger has past for Newt now, so it's all a bit soppy but I hope you still like it. I think everyone is still in character, but let me know. Enjoy :)

 

As a rule Newt didn’t like people, wizards and muggles alike, they made him nervous and uncomfortable due to their unpredictable and more than often cruel nature. This is what made the events in New York so extraordinary for him, he had found himself inexplicably drawn to the three humans he now regarded as friends. Somehow all that confusion had resulted in this one glorious and rather improper moment. He was locked in an embrace with Tina, almost overwhelmed with radiating pleasure as he explored her and she reciprocated. How he had managed to capture the affections of such a rare creature was beyond him, she was like no other woman he’d ever met. Hard as nails with a heart of gold, Tina was exquisite.  
They naturally broke apart, arms still entwined as they grinned almost drunkenly at one another, neither one quite believing what was happening.  
“Wow,” Newt breathed shakily, and with strange confidence he leant in and kissed her again softly on the lips, before taking her face in his hands. His calloused thumbs traced her cheekbones as he reverently kissed her forehead.

“You are quite wonderful, Miss Goldstein,” he said sincerely, as Newt stared into her eyes he could feel himself getting lost in their liquid chocolate depths. Still reeling from the unexpected passion, Tina found her voice,  
“As are you Mister Scamander,” she smiled up at him, “Quite wonderful indeed.”  
Newt kissed her tenderly again, before taking her into a bear hug, she breathed in his scent which was tinged with the smell of wood, leather and something intangibly exotic.

This close to him, she could feel Newt’s heartbeat through his thin shirt, and also hear the unmistakable sound of his stomach rumbling. Tina sighed softly into his shoulder,  
“We should really go wake the others and get some food into you,” she said, leaning back in his strong arms to look at his face.  
Newt nodded with a sad look on his face, “Agreed, I just wish this moment didn’t have to end,” he mumbled.  
“Maybe, this is the start of many moments,” Tina uttered with uncharacteristic daring, she was rewarded with the look of pure happiness that took over Newt’s face. He kissed her lightly on the cheek and took her hand, “Shall we?”

They began making their way up towards the hut, despite his previous vigour Tina was acutely aware of Newt’s fragile state so kept the pace slow. Even so Newt found himself struggling for breath by the time they reached the top of the slight incline.   
“Almost there,” Tina said encouraging, squeezing his hand as she quietly pushed the door open. It was strange how completely changed she felt, and she was almost disappointed that the scene that greeted them was the same as when she left, her world had shifted and Tina half expected everything else to shift with her. She helped Newt over to his cot, where he sat down heavily with a sigh, cradling his head in his hands.  
“Just..need..to..catch..my...breath,” he panted, smiling at her despite his weakness, he was already starting to feel better.  
“Wake the..others,” he waved his hand encouragingly, the movement of the bed had woken a disgruntled Dougal, who peered owlishly at Newt.  
“Sorry..buddy,” he managed, stroking Dougal’s fur with a slightly shaking hand, the demiguise made a pleased sound as he leaned into Newt’s side in a sign of forgiveness for the rude awakening. Newt sat back against the wall, and Dougal crawled into his lap, Pickett in tow.

Tina made her way over to Queenie, who was sleeping curled on her side, her golden curls spilling over the pillow.  
“Mornin’ sleepyhead,” Tina shook her shoulder lightly, Queenie grumbled as she woke, she had never really been much of a morning person.  
“I’m going to start making breakfast, giving you a chance to get ready,” she smiled at her bleary eyed younger sister.

“Swell,” Queenie managed, snuggling down between the sheets for one last time before forcing herself out of the bed. More awake she began catching her older sister’s thoughts, and Tina’s mind was only on one thing.  
“Guys!!” she exclaimed loudly, which startled Jacob out of his slumber. He sat bolt upright confused, “Wasshappening,” he slurred, rubbing his eyes.

“Tina kissed Newt, “ Queenie practically bounced, standing up to give her sister a pleased hug.  
“Feeling better then buddy,” Jacob grinned at the still slightly winded Newt, who gave him a sheepish smile.  
“A bit,” he acknowledged as his eyes moved to meet Tina’s, they just raised their eyebrows at each other in pleased bewilderment at Queenie’s ecstatic reaction.

Jacob yawned widely, “Well I’m glad you both have had a good morning, it’s nice to see you up and about Newt,” he said stretching, “Now did someone mention breakfast?”

The group laughed, “Tinnie and I will get started on some grub in the apartment, while you boys wash up,” Queenie said while she slipped back into her dress. Noticing this Jacob nodded distractedly in agreement, while Tina turned to Newt.  
“Are you feeling ready for the ladder?” she queried, he grimaced slightly.  
“I might need a hand,” he reluctantly admitted, “But yes I think I can make it.” He looked at the furry bundle in his lap,  
“You can have the bed now guys, and I’ll be back soon to feed you all,” he shifted the pair back onto the mattress.   
Jacob looked at his occamy, who had stretched out along the length of the bed, “Do you want to join them,” he asked stroking its head. In answer the occamy coiled itself up, so that it was easier to carry, and Jacob took it over to join the other beasts in their lie-in. Creatures settled, he stuck his hand out for Newt to grab onto, and helped to haul him upright. The dizziness that had previously assaulted Newt was considerably lessened this time, and after taking a couple of deep breaths he felt relatively stable.  
“Shall we then,” he asked indicating towards the ladder, and they began their ascent.


	7. Chapter 10

Hey hope you all had a good holidays. I'm not sure if this chapter is a bit mundane but I wanted to capture the little moments between the emerging couples, hopefully I've achieved this. I think there is more action to come in the future, but chapters maybe be less frequent due to RL deadlines. As ever thanks for all your kind comments and to everyone who has read and given kudos to this story :)

 

Newt's case was a wonder to behold, there was no question of that, but there was the tenancy for a reality shift to occur, the concept of being static in space yet experiencing so much, often left the few visitors he ever had victim to a sort of time lag. As Jacob climbed the ladder back up to the Goldstein residence, he was feeling the effects of this, being a muggle wasn't particularly helpful in this matter. He reeled as he surfaced, the battered case had not moved from the thick carpeted floor, and if he wanted to he could just pick it up and carry it away, yet there was a whole world in there. Not only that but it had been little over twenty-four hours since Newt had collapsed in that subway entrance, and barely four days since this madness had begun. Even so as he hauled himself on to the floor, and sat slightly dazed, Jacob felt like he'd undertaken a lifetime of events.

The sound of Newt's panting, and the appearance of his pallid freckled face out of the case shook Jacob from his stupor, and he rose to help his friend. He decided not to dwell on the complexities of time and magic, as just going with it seemed to be working so far.

Newt was pale and shaky but he had made it up the ladder unassisted, still he was grateful to see Jacob's outstretched hand, and soon with their combined effort, he was sat on the floor beside his case, trying to catch his breath. He awkwardly patted Jacob's arm.

"Cheers," he said breathlessly.

"No worries, pal," Jacob smiled at him, his grin broadening as Queenie's golden curls emerged. In no time she and Tina had exited the case, the lid and clasps firmly shut behind them. Newt was finding the recovery time from each physical exertion was slowly getting faster, and by the time Tina has closed the case he had nearly recovered from the climb.

She crouched down beside him, her worried brown eyes searching his face for signs of distress, the rays of November sun were streaming through the window and illuminated flecks of gold within them. She was simply breathtaking, just the sight of her stirred feelings in Newt he never knew he was capable of.

"How are you doing?" Tina asked concerned at how pale he seemed in the light of day, he was still panting slightly, his eyes a little out of focus with one arm unconsciously wrapped around his midsection. Still at the sound of her voice he gave her a smile that seemed to smooth over any hurt he was feeling, it's warmth reaching his green eyes with a crinkle.

"I'm okay," he paused and wrinkled his nose, "Though I feel a shower may be in order."

He reddened slightly, which she pretended not to see as she stood up, hand outstretched,

"No problem, I'll show you where to wash up, then we'll get started on some grub," she said warmly as she helped pull Newt into an upright position. The inevitable wave of dizziness washed over him, but he rode it out and it quickly faded, Tina's strong hand in his offering an anchor.

"I'm alright," he said reassuringly as he noticed the concerned looks the rest of the group were giving him.

"You're doing great honey," Queenie said, then looking pointedly at Tina,

"Off you pop then, Jacob and I will whip something up."

She winked at Jacob, as Tina led Newt towards the small bathroom at the back of the apartment. "So master baker, I was thinking bacon, eggs and pancakes is the way we should go, do you approve?"

Queenie gave Jacob's shoulder a playful nudge as she started towards the kitchen.

"Sounds divine, though you forgot one thing," he followed her, smiling as she looked up quizzically, "Coffee...lots of coffee," he looked thoughtful for a second.

"And tea for the Brit."

Queenie gave a tinkling laugh, that reminded him of chiming silver bells, and began summoning various ingredients out of the the cupboard. She felt her heart swell at Jacob's tender thoughts about her, it was a rare thing for a man to be thinking of her in a way that wasn't objectifying.

"As you are the baker-extraordinaire, you should make the batter and I'll get started on the rest," she said, giving him a slight curtsey in respect to his cooking seniority. Enjoying this impish side of Queenie, Jacob bowed back in response, tipping an imaginary hat.

"I shall batter away, though don't think you can hide your cooking abilities, I've had you're strudel remember," grinning at one another they set about making breakfast.

Tina's hand remained in Newt's as she guided him toward the bathroom, it felt natural the way they fitted just so.

"Here we are then," she said suddenly a little unsure of what to do next, "I'll just grab you a towel and then leave you to it.."

Newt's grip on her hand tightened, and suddenly she was aware of how close they were to one another. She peered questioningly up at him, as his thumb started to caress her knuckles. Newt cleared his throat nervously, he wasn't sure what he was doing, all he knew was that he didn't want her to leave.

"Can..can you stay?" he asked hoarsely, his eyes not meeting hers, but instead staring intently at the medicine cabinet behind her. Tina's eyes widened slightly, she was surprised at his question, but welcomed it. Now she was in Newt's orbit she wanted nothing more than to get closer to him, and inexplicably he felt the same of her. She reached up and tenderly stroked his cheek.

"Of course I can," she said gently as her hand moved up his face, becoming tangled in his copper mop of hair, her mouth meeting his. Newt's strong arms encircled her once more, pulling her into him as he responded passionately to her advances.

He broke away from their embrace after a few minutes, breathless as he kissed her tenderly on the forehead.

"I never knew what I was missing until I met you," he said earnestly, now confidently holding her gaze in an effort to convey his sincerity.

"But I don't wanted to do anything improper here, you deserve more than that."

Between the arousal of their embrace and the warmth of his words, Tina was feeling uncharacteristically flustered. But still she nodded in consent of his words, if there was one thing she wanted it was to do this right with Newt. She drew him into her arms, speaking softly in his ear,

"Everything has changed for me as well...we should discover this together...the right way as you said."

She pulled away from him, "You should wash up, they'll be done with breakfast in a bit.." Tina said as she grabbed a soft blue towel from the cupboard and pressed it into his hands.

"Sounds good," he responded, and awkwardly began shrugging out of his shirt, the movement aggravating his chest injuries.

"Come here," Tina said, quickly lending a hand, "Your chest is looking a lot better." she murmured, once again surprised at his lean muscular build.

Newt looked down, the marks from Grindelwald's attack had faded considerably, now a dull pink, the spidery scars had blended with the souvenirs of all his other adventures. He gave a her a quick smile feeling exposed, "You all did a really good job of patching me up...I don't know how to thank you," he said.

Tina gave his hand a squeeze, "No thanks are needed, I'm just glad you're okay," she reassured him, then pointed her wand at the shower, hot steamy water instantly began flowing out.

"Jump in, I'll be back in a bit with some clean clothes," she instructed, giving him a kissed on the cheek as she left.

Newt watched her go, slightly dazed and grinning happily to himself, he dropped his trousers and stepped into the steam. A contented sigh left his lips as the warm water washed away the grime of the past few days and soothed his aching muscles. As he stood there he reflected on how much had changed since he had arrived in New York, and what hope Tina and his friends offered for the future.


	8. Chapter 11

Hello again, sorry it's been a little while exams and all that joy. But this a story that just won't leave me alone. I have a basic plan for how this is going to play out...we should be seeing some action soon..just as Newt and co had got used to the peace and quiet. Any way I hope you all like where this is heading. I'll try to update again soon :)

 

Newt was towelling his hair dry when Tina returned to the bathroom with fresh clothes. A second towel wrapped around his waist, his back was turned towards the door, giving her an eyeful of his muscular back. She cleared her throat both to alert him to her presence and in an attempt to get rid of the improper thoughts which had suddenly overthrown her brain, she was pleased Queenie's telepathic range didn't extend this far. He turned, rewarding her with a dazzling smile, that she was becoming convinced he only gave her.

"Hey, I popped down into the case and grabbed you some fresh clothes," she said breathily, he slung the towel over his shoulder and took the bundle from her outstretched hands.

"You're too good to me, thank you Tina," he said gratefully.

"It's was no trouble at all...I'll leave you to get dressed," she turned to leave. Newt hastily laid the clothes down on the toilet lid, and gently took her wrist, in an effort return Tina's attention back to him. She spun around to face him, and he silently pulled her close to him once more, he smelt like soap and his warm, slightly damp skin felt good under her fingers. She fell happily into the kiss, it was hot, urgent and beginning to feel like home. His hand remained ever respectful, but she could feel his desire, it was tangible in the air.

They broke apart, both panting slightly, he smiled broadly at her,

"I just wanted to say thank you properly...you seem to bring out a rather forward side of me," he said sheepishly.

She kissed him lightly on the lips, "Feel free to thank me anytime Mister Scamander," she said a bit cheekily,

"Now I'll really leave you to it, breakfast is nearly ready." She exited the room with a bit of a swagger, a pleased grin tugging at her lips, and a hot under the collar Newt left in her wake.

Jacob groaned in pleasure, letting his napkin drop onto his empty plate and his rubbing now full stomach,

"I have to say Queenie, you and I make a great team," he said happily, she looked up from her own nearly empty plate and winked at him.

"The best, I don't know what you did to these pancakes Jacob, but if I didn't know better I think you'd used magic," she chuckled. Tina and Newt made matching noises of agreement and appreciation as they devoured the spread in front of them.

"I can't actually remember the last time I ate a meal this good..Europe I think..maybe Switzerland...either way if I go travelling again I'm stocking up on your food," Newt said gesticulating with his knife to cement his point. The four friends continued their breakfast in comfortable silence, before being interrupted by an impatient tapping. They looked up to see a disgruntled looking, jet black owl pecking urgently at the living room window. Tina opened the window with a flick of her wand, and the bird flew directly to her, depositing a letter on to her plate. Raising one eyebrow to the rest of the group, she opened the envelope, pulling out a piece of paper and a magically shrunken file and began to read.

"I think we might have a problem guys," she paused quickly rescanning the elegant script to confirm what she had read, when she looked up again everyone's confused stares were on her.

"It's from President Picquery herself, there has been an incident down by the docks in Red Hook...several cargo ships have been sunk and it looks like a magical creature could be involved," she paused and met Newt's worried eyes.

"She says if it's not one of yours Newt..can I take the lead on the investigation, with your help?"

Newt breathed in deeply,

"Everyone is accounted for...I don't have anything aquatic at the moment anyway...may I take a look," he reached for the letter, and scanned through it quickly.

"I think we better get down to the docks, let her know we're on it," he said with determination in his eyes and began to rise, but Tina's hand on his arm stopped him.

"Newt you're still recovering, are you sure you're up to something like this?" she asked, looking at him in concern.

"I've got to be up to this...twenty muggles died...we have to get to the bottom of this," he said purposefully. Seeing that he would do this with, or without her help, Tina decided that working together would be the best course of action.

"Okay, let me just go write a response and we'll head down there," she stood up and went over to the writing desk in the corner of the room. Newt turned to Queenie and Jacob,

"They don't know that you still have your memory Jacob, so it would be best if you stay here," he looked at the pair of them, "would you both mind keeping an eye on my case..if this is a creature I may need it later but I don't want to risk taking it with me."

"Of course honey, we'll keep a good eye on your beasts, and if you need it...or anything else let me know and we'll be with you in seconds," Queenie said, and Jacob nodded in agreement.

"Anything you need pal, just holler...just look after yourself yeah," he said worriedly as Tina came back over to the table.

"Right, I'll send this and we'll go," she informed him as she attached the letter to the owl's leg, it ruffled its feathers haughtily and flew off quickly once she was done.

Newt began shrugging his heavy coat on, while Tina fetched her shoes,

"Ready?" she asked him and he nodded in response.

"Be careful you two," Queenie said, giving her sister's arm a quick squeeze.

"We will, alright then..take my arm Newt," and with a pop they were gone.

They rematerialized on a wooden jetty, jutting out over Buttermilk Channel, a low fog was hanging over the river, and through the murky air they could pick out the shapes of the sunken ships, which protruded out of the water like ribs on a rotting carcass. It was early afternoon, though the darkened atmosphere made it feel much later, and muggles were working furiously to salvage what they could from the wreckage.

"Jesus," Newt breathed out under his breath, Tina gave his hand a squeeze before reaching for the file in her pocket, she tapped it with her wand and it expanded to full size.

"Woah..I can see why Madam President wants you on this..according to reports the channel has been getting progressively rougher for the past couple of days, with an almost permanent fog on this part of the river, despite the clear weather everywhere else...then last night it got really rough out of the blue..two cargo vessels were caught up in it and sunk… then all of a sudden it went calm...a few of the crew survived and they report seeing a dark shape in the water as they were swimming away from the wreckage," she informed him.

"Have you come across anything like this before?" she queried.

He was looking pensively out across the water,

"Maybe," he spoke after a while, "I need to test something, we need to get down to the water,"

"What do you think it is?" Tina asked intrigued, as they hurried along the jetty toward a ladder which would take them down to the shore.

"I haven't seen anything like this before, but I've heard stories..I need to check something to see if I'm right..if not we'll have to consult the books I've got back in my case," he informed her. They began descending down the ladder, Newt's chest twinging a bit in protest, but the adrenaline pumping through his veins dulled the pain. Once at the water's edge he began searching in his pockets, before pulling out a glass vial, he bent down and took a sample from the river.

"Revelio" he murmured pointing his wand at the vial, instantly it turned thick and copper in colour. He looked worriedly at Tina,

"We have a bit of a problem here..I think there is a Mishipeshu in this river..and it isn't very happy."


	9. Chapter 12

“What’s a Mishipeshu?” Tina asked apprehensively, taking in Newt’s serious tone and the way his face was now pinched with worry. He didn’t acknowledge her question, but stood suddenly, pocketing the vial,  
“We have to go back to your flat..now..I need to confirm somethings,” he spoke quickly, holding out his arm for her to take. Realising she wasn’t going to get anymore answers out of him, Tina took the offered limb and within seconds they were back in her living room.

They had barely been gone fifteen minutes, and Jacob and Queenie were still cleaning up the kitchen when they rematerialised, startling the pair.  
“That was quick, what is going on?” Queenie queried, regaining her wits faster than Jacob. Newt ignored this question too, his face determined as he headed toward his case and the answers within.  
“Not sure, Newt thinks he’s onto something,” Tina said hastily following Newt, who had already unlatched the case and was descending the ladder. Queenie and Jacob looked at one another, and in silent agreement decided they didn’t want to be left out of whatever mystery that was taking place. Setting the china they had been drying down on the countertop, they also entered the case.

Newt was rifling through his many notes and books, he had to confirm his suspicions, though in his heart he feared he was correct. As Tina reached the bottom of the ladder, he let out a pleased cry as he located the right text. This pleasure was quickly lost as he skimmed through the pages, and he sunk heavily into the chair by his desk, cradling his head as he continued to read.  
“Newt, what is going on?” Tina asked tentatively, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder as she moved behind him to read what had distressed him so. Jacob and Queenie had entered the hut and were hovering at the bottom of the ladder, looking curiously at Newt. Queenie frowned as she caught a glimpse of his thoughts, they were a swirling mess of darkness, water and drowned faces.   
“I think you need to explain what this beast in the river is,” she spoke up, approaching him. Broken from his churning thoughts, Newt looked up at the group and cleared his throat,  
“Right sorry..I just had to confirm..I’ve never actually seen this before but I heard rumours,”  
He stood and began pacing has he told them what he knew,  
“The Mishipeshu has long been known, and feared by the North American wizards..when I was training dragons on the Eastern front, I worked with an American chap...McNair..anyway he was interested in beasts too..we often told each other stories over a drink.”  
He paused, running a hand through his hair, lost in the thoughts of the past, shaking his head to clear the memories he continued,  
“So one night we were comparing notes and the Mishipeshu came up, it’s feline in overall shape, scaled with large copper horns and a serpentine tail..wait I have a drawing,”  
Newt stepped back over to the desk and flicked through the pages until he found the image, and held it up so the rest of the group could see. From the page a hand drawn sketch growled at them, has Newt has described the beast resembled a heavy set mountain lion, though is was scaled with webbed paws and tail reminiscent of a salamander. On it’s proud but terrible head, two large slightly spiraled horns protruded, glinting with a copper sheen.   
“Impressive creature, but what is so bad about it?” Jacob asked.  
“Normally nothing, they are fairly peaceful frequenting large bodies of water alone or in small groups, I mean they can locally affect the currents and weather patterns when riled up..which has lead to a few deaths..but generally speaking they are harmless.”  
“Why has this one attacked a ship then..what has you so worried?” Tina said, Newt flipped to another page, holding it up to reveal a picture that looked a bit like Frank.  
“They are natural enemies of the Thunderbird..when they clash it can have cataclysmic consequences..great storms that last for weeks, I think when Frank used his powers to release the venom it triggered something in the Mishipeshu,” he sighed.  
“But surely Frank is long gone by now, won’t it just calm down?” Queenie spoke up.  
“Possibly, but I fear that without the satisfaction of the fight it will grow frustrated and lash out..if this was a great lake that would be okay...but this city is so populated..I’m worried what the consequences will be..McNair always used to say that the Thunderbird and the Mishipeshu kept the world balanced and when they fought it restored this balance..their great storms bringing life to the land..I just don’t know what is going to happen..” he broke off wringing his hand together.

“Okay...we need to get back to HQ and tell Madam Picquery about all of this,” Tina said with determination, glancing worriedly at Newt she continued, “I fear that she will want to take lethal action against it though.”  
“We can’t kill it, it’s not it's fault...if anything it’s mine for releasing Frank here instead of Arizona,” he said fiercely.  
“I know, I know I’m just preparing you for what she will say,” Tina placated him, and he bowed his head slightly to acknowledge her warning.  
“Alright then, is your case capable of holding it ?” she asked.  
“It should be, I’ve had dragons in here before and Frank of course.. I’ll make some alterations… oh and put the others somewhere safe..it’ll take some work but it’s doable..” he trailed off considering what had to be done to accommodate his latest guest.

“Right, here is what we are going to do, you and I will head over to MACUSA, where I’ll ask that we are in charge of handling the beast’s removal, then we will make improvements to the case, if possible and work on a plan for capturing it, Queenie..Jacob if you stay here and read up on this Mishipeshu..try and come up with a way of dealing with it,” Tina said in a business like tone. Despite his worry Newt couldn’t help but smile at the way she took charge of the situation, she was the strongest woman he knew, and it was moments like these that reminded him how privileged he was to have met her.  
All three of them nodded in response to Tina’s words, and Newt turned to Jacob and Queenie,  
“So most of my notes on the Mishipeshu are here, I have some more books on North American beasts on the shelves which may have something of use in them,” he said pressing the leather bound notebook into Jacob’s hands.  
“Thanks pal, we’ve got this covered, you two go deal with the boss lady,” Jacob gave Newt a weak smile, clearly shaken by the latest magical craziness he had found himself caught up in. Sensing this Queenie discretely took his hand in comfort, and Newt clapped him on the shoulder,  
“Good man, I doubt we’ll be long..we need to deal with this situation as quickly as possible.”  
Newt and Tina made their way over to the ladder, while Queenie and Jacob settled down by the desk.  
“Good luck, we’ll hopefully see you soon,” Tina said, with a slight smile.  
“Same to you sweetie,” Queenie reciprocated. 

Once back in the apartment, Newt and Tina took a moment to steel themselves, neither one of them had been back in MACUSA since the incident with the death potion. Between Grindelwald, Newt’s injuries and now the Mishipeshu, they has barely had time to process it. They stood forehead to forehead, arms intertwined,  
“Are you ready for this?” Tina breathed,  
“I am with you by my side,” Newt responded, pulling her in for a tender kiss, when they broke apart they were all business.  
“Let’s do this,” Tina spoke firmly. Once again they disappeared from the girl’s apartment, towards the adventures awaiting them.


	10. Chapter 13

Hi :) sorry this has taken so long for me to update, I'm studying for a Master's and suddenly found myself with a lot of work to do. I hope that you enjoy this update and like where the story is going. Please feel free to let me know if it's still interesting, it's been so long since I've written I'm worried I've lost their voices/ the thread of this story. Hope you all have a nice day :)

 

As Newt stared up at the grey skyscraper that housed the American Ministry of Magic, the top of which was shrouded in clouds giving him the sense that it never ended, the nervous feeling in his stomach threatened to overwhelm him. He'd never been one for for authority, but the black and white way the Americans clung to the rules, which made the British look progressive, terrified him. As he swallowed to combat the nausea from rising, he felt Tina take his hand as give it a reassuring squeeze.

"Come on now, the quicker we go in, the quicker we get out," she said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"And we need to solve this," she added.

He nodded in agreement, not trusting himself to speak at that moment, and together they stepped inside the grand building.

Though it had really been less than a week since Tina had been slogging away at her job, trying to move up the ladder and be taken seriously, returning to MACUSA made all her previous hopes and dreams seem quaint. So much had been irreversibly changed in such a short time, it was staggering, but they had a mission to complete, there would be time later to dwell on all she had lost and gained since meeting her funny Englishman.

"Hey Red," Tina smiled as she greeted the dwarf who was peering at the pair curiously, "Madame Picquery's office please,"

"Sure thing Goldstein," he responding using his clawed stick to push the top button, one minute of awkward silence later, they were stepping out in the cavernous upper hall.

"Good luck," Red called after them, and Tina gave him a nod of thanks as she steeled herself for the onslaught ahead.

Affording themselves one more look of encouragement, Tina and Newt stood side by side in front of the ornate golden door that housed the President, and knocked.

"Come in," Picquery's clipped tone resonated through the door.

"Ah Goldstein, Scamander, thank you for coming so promptly, please do take a seat," she said gesturing to the chairs in front of her desk. She watched them as they sat, hands steepled and a worried look marring her handsome face.

"So have you found the source of the No-Maj deaths?" she queried. Newt and Tina glanced at one another, reaching the unspoken agreement that Tina should lead this meeting.

"We believe so, Madame President.. Newt thinks that we are dealing with a Mishipeshu," Tina began respectfully, and sensing the President's confusion hurried to clarify.

"It's a creature, normally found in the great lakes, but one has clearly found it's way into Buttermilk Channel..erm they are generally peaceful but we think.." she broke off and glanced at Newt.

He cleared is throat and continued for her, "I think that when Frank..uh the Thunderbird, used his magic..it um aggravated the Mishipeshu, they have this innate natural animosity you see...I'm so sorry I didn't know there would be one here..this close to the city.." he trailed off and looked at his hands.

Picquery closed her eyes for a brief moment, processing this information,

"Well there is nothing we can do about that now, the Thunderbird was necessary to avert the No-Maj crisis..the question now is, how do we deal with this..Mishipeshu?" she said with a touch of steel in her voice.

"Newt thinks that it would be possible to capture the creature alive, and release it somewhere else, where it can't do anymore harm," Tina answered.

"Would it not be easier just to exterminate the beast?" Picquery queried.

Newt's head snapped up at this comment, and Tina placed a placating hand on his knee.

"With respect Madame President, this is a rare and powerful creature..it would be a tragedy to destroy it," seeing that she wasn't convincing the President with that line of argument Tina continued.

"More than that though due to it's powerful nature we don't know how easy it would be to kill, and a battle would be hard to hide from the No-Maj population, especially if creates the same water disturbances that sunk those other ships."

"Fair point, so how would you propose to capture it?"

"We'd need to do some more research, this is the first time any of us has come across this creature, but we intend to find away to subdue it peacefully and tempt it into Newt's case," Tina responded, jutting her chin slightly in a show of confidence of their ability to tackle the problem.

"How long would you need to reach a solution?" Picquery asked

"I need to modify my case, so that it can hold the Mishipeshu safely..and as Tina mentioned..I've never dealt with this particular creature before..I'd need to figure out a way to approach it safely...so maybe a few days," Newt responded, sensing a glimmer of hope that he could rescue the creature without any more bloodshed.

"In the meantime I would recommend putting shields in place, and coming up with a reason that the No-Maj's shouldn't use that stretch of the channel," Tina continued.

Picquery nodded in acknowledgement of their advice,

"I will give you two days, this seems like the best way of dealing with this problem at the moment," sensing the President had more to say, the pair held in their relief.

"But if there is another incident or you can't come up with a solution, I will not hesitate to use lethal measures," she concluded firmly.

"Of course Madame President, thank-you for having faith in us, we won't let you down," Tina conceded

"See that you don't..alright you're dismissed, thank you for you time," Picquery spoke, ending the meeting abruptly with a wave of her hand. With nothing else to be said her attention returned to the papers in front of her, and the headache she now had to deal with.

"Thank-you Madame President," the pair murmured as they left the office.

The journey out of the headquarters was a blur, and suddenly they were out in the brisk New York morning air, in disbelief at how well the meeting had gone, but feeling the weight of responsibility that was now upon them.

They faced each other, the cold air and exhilaration of the morning causing a matching blush to rise in their cheeks, breath fogging in the chilly air.

"We have got a lot to do," Newt said seriously, his arms encircling Tina,

"That we do, but we'll do it together, with Queenie's and Jacob's help, of course..hey we took down Grindelwald...we can do this," Tina said encouragingly, before stretching up to give him a chaste kiss on the lips.

"Come'on Mister Scamander, we have work to do."


	11. Chapter 14

Well this has come along a lot quicker than I thought, procrastination is real! I hope you enjoy where this is going, there should be more action/drama in the following chapters as they gear up for battle. All mistakes are my own, I really know nothing about New York except what google tells me :) Please feel free to leave a review if you have any thoughts on the story. Have a nice day!

Jacob stared at the leather bound tome in his hands, it's brown cover had a warm well-loved quality to it, and as he flicked through the yellowing parchment filled with handwritten notes and drawings, he could almost feel Newt's compassion for his beasts rising from the pages.

"So erm where should we start?" he asked Queenie, who was peering around the book lined hut.

"I was just thinking about that, I've got a spell from my school days which might be of use to us," she smiled as she turned to him. With a brief look of concentration she gave a her wand a quick but determined flick, and the book in Jacob's hands began vibrating, with a startled yelp he let it go.

"Oops, sorry honey," Queenie apologized with a quirk of her lips.

"It's okay," Jacob responded distractedly, as he watched her spell go to work with fascination. The book he'd just dropped didn't fall to the ground, rather it and several other volumes were floating drunkenly at head height. The pages then began turning rapidly, as if a spectral hand was rifling through them, and when a desired page was reached it slid from the book, and hung in the air with one word, Mishipeshu, highlighted in gold. Soon the air was filled with pages, and the books flew neatly into a pile on Newt's desk, now devoid of all useful content.

"Wow..just wow," Jacob exclaimed, reaching a hand up to brush his fingertips on a page near his right ear.

"Neat huh, and when we're done I'll just do the counter-spell and they'll all return to their rightful places..this always came in handy when we had exams," Queenie explained as she began plucking the pages from the air. Noticing Jacob was still standing in awe, she gave his shoulder a little nudge, her arms now filled with parchment.

"Come'on silly, we have work to do," she laughed, Jacob roused himself and took half of the parchment stack from her.

"Okay..okay so what are we looking for precisely?" he asked, peering down at the dense text on the first page of his pile.

"Any information really, the Mishipeshu's behaviour, defences, weaknesses..that kinda thing," she responded as she set herself down in a comfy arm chair, while Jacob took up residence at the desk.

That's how Newt and Tina found them several hours later, studiously bent over their respective parchment piles, both taking notes of useful points, Jacob by hand and Queenie on a notebook floating beside her.

Tina cleared her throat to alert the pair to their presence,

"Hey guys, this looks productive," she said stepping forward to peer over Jacob's shoulder at his notes.

"Tina! Newt! How did it go?" Queenie asked, relieved for a reason to stand up after sitting still for so long.

"Better than expected actually..we have two days to come up with a solut- hey, what have you done to my books," Newt said with an appalled tone, cutting off his explanation.

"Oh don't worry honey, I'll put them back together when we're done," Queenie said appeasing the disgruntled looking Newt,

"Anyway you were saying.."

"Right sorry, the President gave us two days to come up with a way of safely containing the Mishipeshu...but if we can't find an answer or there is another attack..she will take the forceful approach," he sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face and continued,

"I'll need to make some alterations to my case, so that we can catch it securely..we just have to find a way of getting it into the case without incident."

"Have you two found any pertinent information?" Tina queried

"Well a lot of it was just anecdotal accounts, rehashing what you'd already told us buddy," Jacob nodded at Newt, "..the main thing that comes up is how much it loves copper,"

"Well at least that explains why it's hanging around Buttermilk Channel," Tina said, Jacob and Queenie made noises of agreement, while Newt looked perplexed.

"The Statue of Liberty sweetie, can't get more coppery than that," Queenie explained good naturedly.

"Ahh right of course..didn't even cross my mind...but anyway, now you say it, I do remember hearing that before..they can be very protective of copper deposits, this is helpful..anything else?" Newt said hurriedly, a slight blush of embarrassment rising in his cheeks.

"Er from what I can tell it has control over the bodies of water it resides in as well as the atmospheric conditions, which may make approaching it hard, oh and it has a nasty bite," Queenie responded with a grimace.

"Okay good, this is a solid start..so copper is looking like bait, we just need to find a way to approach it and contain it...which maybe tricky..but good work," Newt summarised offering a pair a flash of a smile.

"Do you think the case will be able to hold it?" Tina asked.

"I think so, I've had dragons and Frank of course..and he was in a bad state when I got him..so angry..and the sheer power..anyway the case held then, so I think it should now..I just need to make adjustments, which may take a little while," Newt said with more confidence than he felt.

"Adjustments? Is that like what you did to contain Beatrix ?" Jacob queried.

"Ah I suppose I never really explained how the case works, after all that kerfuffle.." Newt said sheepishly.

"It's gotta be an undetectable extension charm, right?" Tina said curiously.

"Correct..that is the underlying spell that gives the case it's size and portability, but on top of that there is a complex web of spellwork that my Transfiguration Professor helped me with..any way the long and short of it is that I can alter any habitat as I see fit, set the cyclic nature of day and night and create barriers..but it draws on my magic so normally I let everything tick along as it should..but it is possible to create an impenetrable area to hold a creature," Newt explained enthusiastically, the case was one of his proudest achievements, and he didn't often have anyone willing to listen to him, or more importantly anyone he trusted enough to reveal his secrets to.

"It's gotta be one of the most impressive pieces of magic I've seen," Tina smiled at him, before her face creased into a worried frown,  
"But you said it draws on your magic, are you going to be strong enough to do this..you haven't really had an opportunity to fully recuperate since the subway?" she asked putting a concerned hand on his arm, as the others regarded him with equally uneasy expressions

Newt smiled and took her hand, despite the pressure of what was to come, he felt truly blessed to have a woman who cared so much for him, as well as friends who had his back.

"I can do it, I just might not be at full strength afterwards," he looked round at the group,

"None of us can do this alone, it's going to take all of us, but I have faith that we can do this..together,"

"Together," they echoed.


	12. Chapter 15

Hey thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this so far :) We're starting to get into the meat of the story so I hope you enjoy where it's heading. I don't know how true to J.K's writing my explanation of how the case works is, but it's the best way I could come up with. Let me know what you think :) 

 

Newt strode across the plains of his case with purpose Tina by his side, a comfortable silence spread between them as they walked, their hands loosely interlinked. Newt was glad for the quiet, his mind swirling as he tried to establish what he had to do to hold his latest guest, and what he was capable off given his weakened state. Sensing his inner turmoil, Tina gave his hand a squeeze, and offered him a comforting smile when he glanced up at her. Behind them Queenie and Jacob were bustling away in the hut, preparing for feeding time, as despite the impending mission there were still duties that had to be attended to, and no one wanted a hungry Erumpent on their hands.

The pair left the plain, entering a dense wooded area, Newt led the way confidently, using a path only known to himself. Tina could feel a still and powerful magic growing as they drew closer to their destination. All of a sudden they emerged out into a glade, thickly carpeted in meadow flowers, and Tina found herself having to shield her eyes as they stepped out of the dappled wood into the full spring sun. In the center of the clearing was a flat, crumbling slab of granite, which had a veneer of moss and lichen that typically took centuries to accumulate. It was from here that the intangible sense of power emanated, lapping over them in waves. Newt stopped just short of the rock, taking a second to appreciate his surroundings, tilting his head towards the warming sun he breathed deep, the air was thick with the scent of blossom and loamy earth.

"What is this place?" Tina whispered, almost afraid to break the stillness that surrounded them.

"This is the centre of the case's magic, where we laid down the first spellwork," he explained as he rubbed his thumb across her knuckles, a look of pure contentment on his face, "From here everything else grew and is regulated, and whenever I have to make a big adjustment to the structure it has to be done from this spot,"

"It's incredible, I've never really felt anything like this, the magic here is almost visceral.. I can't really explain it," Tina breathed, in awe of her strange English wizard, "you must be incredibly gifted to create something like this."

Newt ducked his head, blushing at her compliment,

"Well I wouldn't say that, I had help to produce the spellwork, and it took a while..but I am proud of what we managed to achieve here," he responded.

"As you should be..just amazing...so what happens now?" she enquired.

"Okay, so I have to tap into the basal magic that is centred here, then I'm going to make a new, heavily protected area for the Mishipeshu, I don't really know how powerful it is so its better to be safe than sorry," he explained with a slight frown, "it might take me a while as I'm not back to full strength..I may need your assistance..but hopefully not."

Tina leaned into him, her arms encircling his slender but strong waist and she leaned up to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"That's why I'm here, anything you need just ask...I really don't want you to get to that point of magical exhaustion again," she said, her deep brown eyes shimmering with worry.

"Me neither, I don't want to leave you alone to tackle the Mishipeshu,"

Newt took her face in his calloused hand, gently stroking his thumbs across her cheekbones, before drawing her into an impassioned embrace. Tina felt her breath catch as she responded in kind to the deep, desperate kiss, she could almost taste his fear and determination.

"I'm so glad I found you," Newt sighed when they broke apart, both slightly giddy from the overwhelming desire between them.

"So am I," she said softly, capturing his mouth in a more tender moment than the last. When they separated for a second time Newt was wearing a determined mask.

"Okay I better get to this.."

"Please let me know if you need help,"

Newt nodded and gave her a final squeeze, and climbed up onto the rock, as he took a seat and closed his eyes an eerie sense of calm spread over the meadow.

He found his centre and connected to the spiralling core of magic almost immediately, after so many years of living in it, the case had almost become an extension of his own consciousness. Taking in deep, measured breaths he focused on what he wanted to create, scanning the mesocosm for a suitable location. He decided on the area which had previously contained the Obscurus, as it already had a fair amount of warding in place, so it wouldn't require starting completely from scratch. In his mind's eye he watched as the arctic wasteland began to thaw, jagged cracks fulgurating across the surface of the sheet ice. He dug his hands into the thick moss covering the slab in an attempt to anchor himself, the effort was draining him faster than he had expected.

Tina watched on in worry as Newt's breathing began to quicken, after ten minutes he was panting with the strain, beads of sweat rolling down his pale face. She moved nearer to the rock, wanting to be as close to hand as possible, but didn't speak for fear of breaking his concentration.

Finally all the ice had melted, leaving behind a choppy lake with a rocky outcrop stretching out into its centre. Satisfied that this would provide a suitable habitat, Newt turned his attention with considerable effort to the wardings surrounding the area. Piece by piece he began to construct invisible barriers that he could only hope would be strong enough to hold the creature, starting from deep below the frigid waters he built them upwards in a high dome. By the time he was half way through, Newt was struggling to hold it together, his breath now coming out in wheezing huffs, gripping the rock so hard he was white knuckled.

He wasn't going to make it.

Tina couldn't take it, Newt was totally devoid of colour, shaking from deep within his core, she couldn't stand by anymore watching him suffer like this. Just as she made her mind up to try and bring him out of the trance, his pain-filled green eyes snapped open.

"Help me," came the barely audible plea.


	13. Chapter 16

“Help me,” Newt gasped again, his pale face lined with pain as he stared up at her, there was a wild look in his eyes that made Tina doubt that he was actually seeing her. Instantly she was crouched by his side,  
“What can I do?” she asked, putting a comforting hand on his shaking shoulder in an attempt to anchor him to this reality. Newt didn’t respond straight away, as despite his attempts to remain present in both places he could feel the barriers he had just created crumbling to nothing without his full focus. There was no way he could build them up on his own again, so taking in a deep calming breath, which came out more like a panicked wheeze, he cut off the connection.  
With force, he found himself snapped back into reality, head spinning, the bright sunlight burning his eyes, and suddenly all he could see was Tina. She was so close to him that their foreheads were nearly touching, her beautiful face consumed with worry, it almost broke him to see her that way.  
“Tina,” he managed, reaching a trembling hand to cup her face, she leaned into his touch, her grip on his shoulder tightening.  
“I’m here..I’m here, just tell me how can I help you Newt,” she said with a desperate tone, she could see him breaking down before her, and she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to put him back together again.  
“I’m not strong enough..I..can’t...can you help me?” he asked, he could feel himself fading with every second that passed, but they had to get this done, there was no choice.  
“Of course..you just need to tell me how,” Tina responded, anxiously looking over at him, Newt was now leaning quite heavily into her, eyes closed as he tried to organise his scattered thoughts.  
“Okay, okay...sit in front of me..you’ll need you wand,” he started, Tina moved from his side and sat crossed legged opposite him, their knees touching. Newt scrubbed a tired hand over his face and continued,   
“Can you feel the spellwork?”   
Tina nodded.  
“Good..the aim is to alter it in such a way that we create an impenetrable enclosure..you just have to connect to it..okay close your eyes..regulate your breathing,” he explained.

Tina closed her eyes, following his instructions, easily sensing the powerful magic pulsating around her. Since they had arrived at the glade, she had been able to feel the waves of it lapping against her, encouraging her to jump in, but the swirling undercurrent of power had scared her.  
But now, with her thoughts only on helping Newt, she took the plunge.  
It was overwhelming, she could feel herself sat on the mossy rock, but she was also high above herself, looking down on every aspect of the case. Physically she hadn’t moved, but her mind was no longer bound by an earthly tether, she felt as if she was everywhere and nowhere all at once. Her breathing hitched as she tried to get a grip on what was happening, but before panic could set in, she felt Newt’s hand on her knee.  
“That’s it, you’re doing great...it’s hard at first..you just have to fully let go,” he soothed. Tina let out a shuddering gasp as she attempted to regain her composure, the sense of being in two places at once was jarring.   
“That it..you can do this..okay so where are you currently?” he asked, rubbing his thumb in small, reassuring circles on her knee.  
“I don’t...I’m sort of above everything,” she managed   
“That’s good..can you see a large lake, north-west quadrant?”   
“Yeah,”  
“Focus on it, think about standing on the shore..just like apparition,”  
Tina concentrated, finding her centre and she was there, stood on the rocky shore of the choppy lake being buffeted by a bracing, salty wind.   
“I’m here,” she said, unsure if Newt could hear her,   
“I know,”   
Newt’s voice was closer than she had expected, and he abruptly appeared beside her, waxen and swaying, but he was there.  
“Well done, it took me a lot longer to get a handle on this,” he smiled softly, taking her in a hug which was surprisingly solid.   
“Thanks, it’s definitely an experience..so what happens next?” she asked, slipping an arm around his waist to help keep him upright, but also in an attempt to reassure herself that he was there.  
“So before, I managed to change the tundra to this lake, but I couldn’t manage the barriers on my own,” he said hanging his head. Tina gave him a comforting squeeze,  
“Hey now, no need for that..okay so this barrier it’s a modified Protego charm right?”  
Newt nodded, casting his insecurities away, he had neither the time or energy to dwell on his failings right now.  
“Yes, but we need to layer it..so build it from the bottom to the top until we’ve formed a dome,” he explained.  
“Okay, that seems doable, where should we start?” she asked.   
“It’ll be easiest from that central point,” Newt pointed to the rocky outcrop which stretched far out into the stormy waters.  
The pair began to pick their way along the shore, Tina making sure to keep a supporting arm around Newt. The place had a desolate feel to it, from the bleak sky to the lake, everything was a muted shade of grey, Tina found herself wondering if this was by design or a reflection of how Newt was feeling. Eventually they made it to the flattened end of the outcrop, and surrounded on all sides by water she could really appreciate the vastness of this place.  
“Ready?” Newt said quietly, she nodded.  
Standing back to back they began the charm, the barrier that Newt had previously constructed had withered to its foundations. Meticulously they built it back up, assembling layer upon layer, they were nearly complete when Newt faltered, his legs giving out from underneath him.  
“Newt,” Tina exclaimed in worry, not turning to aid him as she struggled to maintain the charm.  
“I’m fine,” he panted, still on his hands and knees as he tried to keep down the urge to throw up.  
“Finish it,”   
Tina returned her full concentration back to the shield, which had remained strong, it took longer without Newt’s help but eventually a hopefully impenetrable dome encapsulated the area. As soon as she felt the last layer fall into place, Tina was on her knees beside Newt, cradling his clammy face.  
“Are you still with me?” she asked, he nodded leaning against her with a sigh.  
“I’m here..thank you,” he said faintly.  
“How do we get back?”   
“Concentrate on your body..the hard rock beneath you, the warm sun on your face..the smell of blossom..then just let go,” he instructed.  
Tina closed her eyes, and focused, the switch was almost instantaneous, the chilling winds morphing seamlessly into a late afternoon in spring.   
Disorientated she opened her eyes, to be greeted with Newt’s pale but smiling face, she clasped his hands, leaning forward until their foreheads touched.  
“We did it.”


	14. Chapter 17

Hi! Sorry it's been awhile, dissertation is in full swing and is fairly time consuming. Hope you enjoy this offering, it's a little fluffy I guess but we are gearing up for some more action soonish. Thank again to everyone who has read, left comment and kudos. Hope you enjoy :)

 

With the afternoon sun gently warming them the pair stayed like that for a few moments, knees touching, hands clasped and foreheads pressed together, a brief period of peace before the madness began again. Tina drank in Newt's now familiar but still exotic scent, which helped to tether her as she attempted to process what had just happened. The sensation of a calloused thumb softly caressing her cheek broke her from her thoughts, she glanced up to meet Newt's green eyes gazing fondly at her.

"Hey you." she said quietly, almost afraid to break the calm that had descended around them. Newt flashed a smile that she was certain he reserved only for her, and leaned into kiss her tenderly, his warm hand cupping her face. He sighed as he broke away from her, planting a kiss on her forehead,

"Thank-you." he smiled at her, his earnest expression so sincere that it warmed her heart.

"Thank-you," he repeated, "I couldn't have done that without you."

He ducked his head in slight embarrassment before meeting her eyes once more.

"You saved me again." he murmured, a hint of blush rising in his cheeks, as he considered how consistently he had shown weakness in front of Tina in the short amount of time that he'd known her. Tina's brows creased in a slight frown noting his embarrassment, she had a pretty good idea where his thoughts were at.

"I just gave you a helping hand Newt, we're in this together, you and I." she smiled. Giving him a quick kiss on the cheek she began to rise, groaning slightly, her limbs were stiff from sitting down for so long.

"Come'on now, we'd better get a move on, still have a beast to catch after all." she said, offering a hand out to him. He nodded, deciding to push down the nagging self-doubt, and graciously accepted her proffered hand. Between them they managed to get him in an upright position, Newt's back popping as he unfurled to his full height. He swayed ever so slightly as dizziness assaulted him, the full extent of his magical exhaustion came crashing back all at once. Tina steadied him, worriedly observing how pale he'd become as a faint trembling began to wrack his thin frame. Newt closed his eyes briefly, taking deep calming breaths in an effort to stave off the dizziness and sense of nausea that had begun roiling in his gut. A few breaths later he felt that he had gained a modicum of control over his own body, and once he was certain he wasn't going to throw up, Newt open his eyes and offered Tina a weak smile.

"How are we doing?" she asked, one hand gripping his upper arm to keep him balanced, the other rubbing soothing circles on this back.

"I'm okay, that just took a lot more out of me than I'd like." Newt sighed, looping an arm around her waist and drawing her into a gentle hug. Tina reciprocated, supporting him as he summoned enough energy to make the journey back up to his hut.

"It's not your fault." she murmured in his ear.

"Creating a shield that powerful took a massive amount of strength and skill, plus you are still recovering..I'm proud of you." she gave him a squeeze, attempting to convey even a hint of how awe-inspiring she found him. His lips found hers once more and time seemed to skip as they both became lost in one another.

"I just..thank-you." Newt said again as he broke away from her.

"But you're right, we should head back..there is still a lot of work to do."

Tina nodded and hopped easily off the granite slab, before turning to assist Newt, who gingerly lowered himself down onto the soft grass. Slipping an arm around him to provide support, she felt her heart twinge at how familiar this was becoming. Together they set off across the flower-studded meadow, toward the shaded wood that stretched out before them.

Jacob let out a sigh, as he leaned against the wooden walls of the hut, he mopped his sweaty brow with a handkerchief, Queenie leaned beside him her cheeks pink with exertion.

"That was a good job well done." he said, taking her hand and bring it to his lips. Queenie giggled, keeping her hand interlinked with his, she looked out over the plains of the case to observe their handy work. Every creature was content, well fed and watered, which had been no small undertaking.

"I have no idea how Newt does this on his own." she responded, gesturing at the tranquil scene in front of them.

"Magic." Jacob deadpanned the pair made eye contact, both managing to keep a straight face for half a second, before cracking up in laughter.

"Talking of Newt, when do you reckon they'll be back?" he said wiping his eyes. Queenie hummed to herself pondering the question.

"I'm not sure, they've only been gone about an hour or so..and it seemed like it could take some time for him to create an area strong enough to hold the Mishipeshu." she informed him.

"Hm yeah true." he nudged her shoulder,

"Why don't we get started on a lunch for them, as you said it's a big task and I reckon Newt will be pretty worn out when they get back."

"You are just the sweetest." Queenie said, planting an unexpected kiss on his cheek. Jacob blushed and ducked his head, his hand coming up to touch where her lips had been.

"Well I do try." he quipped.

Queenie turned to make her way back into the hut, but Jacob caught her arm. She looked at him quizzically, his thoughts racing too much for her to get a clear handle on what he was thinking. He pulled her close and kissed her tenderly, she responded instantly deepening the embrace with passion. She had been waiting for this since nearly the moment they had met, from the instant she had read his mind Queenie knew that there was no one else quite like Jacob. It didn't matter that he was a no-maj, or that he wasn't 'classically' handsome, his mind was pure, earnest and above all joyous to be around.

When they broke apart they stared at each other, eyes darken by desired both panting slightly.

"Woah." Jacob gasped, unable to articulate anything else.

"Quite a kiss you've got there hun." Queenie smiled widely, before leaning in to take another taste.


End file.
